'Jillian' by Halle Butler follows the lives of two women, Jillian and Meghan, who work together and face practical and psychological challenges in their young lives. The narrative delves into the internal struggles of these ordinary women, portraying their complex relationships and personal dilemmas. Jillian, a single mother, strives to create the perfect life for herself and her son but finds herself spiraling downwards when faced with unexpected challenges, while Meghan, her coworker, harbors resentment and pushes people away with her caustic attitude. The story explores themes of self-criticism, societal expectations, and the struggles of trying to maintain a facade of domestic bliss amidst mounting difficulties.

Characters:

The characters are complex and flawed, with Jillian embodying vulnerability and Meghan representing a more caustic, critical outlook on life.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is sharp, observant, and potentially humorous, reflecting the inner lives of the characters while some readers find it challenging or unappealing.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around the challenges faced by Jillian, a single mother, and her difficult relationship with her co-worker Meghan. The narrative explores themes of motherhood, insecurity, and societal judgment.

Setting:

The setting includes everyday environments such as a doctor's office and domestic spaces, emphasizing realism.

Pacing:

The pacing is uneven, with some moments feeling rushed while others dwell on introspection and humor.

“But what I really want is to be a personal assistant, or to go door-to-door and help people get organized. Not, like, as a psychologist, but I might be good at that, too. More like helping people get...

Notes:

Jillian is a single mother who works in a doctor's office.

She struggles to create a perfect life for herself and her son Adam.

Jillian gets pulled over for speeding, leading to her car being impounded due to unpaid fines.

Meghan, a co-worker, dislikes Jillian and often complains about her to her boyfriend.

Meghan's behavior seems rooted in her own low self-esteem and unhappiness.

Jillian adopts a chocolate Labrador named Peanut, but Adam renames him Crispy.

Crispy is mostly kept in Jillian's bathroom while she's at work.

Elena, a neighbor, takes pleasure in Jillian's struggles, gossiping about her situation.

The relationship between Jillian and Meghan highlights themes of internal struggle and projection of personal issues onto others.

The novel lacks a neat, happy ending, focusing instead on realistic emotional struggles.

The story offers a mix of dark humor and poignant observations about modern life and relationships.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book includes content warnings for themes such as substance abuse, depression, and mental health issues.

From The Publisher:

Twenty-four-year-old Megan may have her whole life ahead of her, but it already feels like a dead end, thanks to her dreadful job as a gastroenterologist's receptionist and her heart-clogging resentment of the success and happiness of everyone around her. But no one stokes Megan's bitterness quite like her coworker, Jillian, a grotesquely optimistic, thirty-five-year-old single mother whose chirpy positivity obscures her mounting struggles.

Megan and Jillian's lives become increasingly precarious as their faulty coping mechanisms-denial, self-help books, alcohol, religion, prescription painkillers, obsessive criticism, alienated boyfriends, and, in Jillian's case, the misguided purchase of a dog-send them spiraling toward their downfalls. Wickedly authentic and brutally funny, Jillian is a subversive portrait of two women trapped in cycles of self-delusion and self-destruction, each more like the other than they would care to admit.

Ratings (7)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (3)
Liked It (1)
It Was OK (2)

Reader Stats (20):

Read It (8)
Want To Read (11)
Not Interested (1)

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Jillian

Halle Butler